07 Sep 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. ADB’s 2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference
2. Regulation of Dark Patterns
3. World Physiotherapy Day
4. Asian Games 2022

1. ADB’s 2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference

Syllabus: GS-2, Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

Prelims: 2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference, Asian Development Bank

Context:

India showcased PM Gatishakti National Masterplan at the Asian Development Bank’s 2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference.

Details:

• The ‘2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference: Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Integration through Economic Corridor Development (ECD)’ was organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Tbilisi, Georgia. 
• More than 30 countries participated in the conference which was held in September 2023.
• Objectives of the conference:
  • Explore ways to integrate spatial transformation/area-centric approach with the ECD and strengthen regional cooperation through a broader approach
  • Knowledge sharing on the application of the Economic Corridor Development (ECD) framework and operational guidelines, onto investable projects.

2. Regulation of Dark Patterns

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: Dark Patterns in Advertising

Context:

Centre seeks public comments on Draft Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns.

Details:

• The guidelines include ways to prevent and regulate false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap and more such “dark patterns” on e-commerce websites.
• The public has time till 5 October to comment on the guidelines released.

Background:

• Dark patterns have been a prominent feature of many apps and websites over the course of the Internet’s growth, and regulators around the world have started taking steps to limit them.
• For example, Amazon Prime was forced to make changes to its platform after users in the European Union complained that it was difficult to unsubscribe to it online.

What are Dark Patterns?

• According to the draft guidelines, dark patterns are “any practices or deceptive design patterns using user interface or user experience interactions on any platform; designed to mislead or trick users to do something they originally did not intend or want to do; by subverting or impairing the consumer autonomy, decision making or choice; amounting to misleading advertisement or unfair trade practice or violation of consumer rights.”
• Some of the dark patterns specified by the guidelines are as follows.
  • False urgency: falsely stating or implying the sense of urgency or scarcity so as to mislead a user into making an immediate purchase or taking immediate action, which may lead to a purchase.
  • Basket sneaking: inclusion of additional items such as products, services, or payments to charity/donation at the time of checkout from a platform, without the consent of the user, such that the total amount payable by the user is more than the amount payable for the product(s) and/or service(s) chosen by the user.
  • Confirm shaming: using a phrase, video, audio or any other means to create a sense of fear, shame, ridicule or guilt in the mind of the user, so as to nudge the user to act in a certain way that results in the user purchasing a product or service from the platform or continuing a subscription of a service.
  • Forced action: forcing a user into taking an action that would require the user to buy any additional good(s) or subscribe or sign up for an unrelated service, in order to buy or subscribe to the product/service originally intended by the user.
  • Subscription trap: the process of making cancellation of a paid subscription impossible or a complex and lengthy process including similar other practices.
  • Interface interference: a design element that manipulates the user interface in ways that (a) highlights certain specific information; and (b) obscures other relevant information relative to the other information; to misdirect a user from taking an action desired by her.
  • Bait and switch: the practice of advertising a particular outcome based on the user’s action but deceptively serving an alternate outcome.
  • Drip pricing: a practice whereby elements of prices are not revealed upfront or are revealed surreptitiously within the user experience; and/or other such practices.
  • Disguised advertisement: the practice of posing, and masking advertisements as other types of content such as user-generated content or new articles or false advertisements.
  • Nagging: a dark pattern due to which users face an overload of requests, information, options, or interruptions; unrelated to the intended purchase of goods or services, which disrupts the intended transaction.

Also read: ASCI Guidelines on Dark Patterns in Advertising

3. World Physiotherapy Day

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Prelims: World Physiotherapy Day

Context:

8 September has been celebrated as World Physiotherapy Day since 1996.

World Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy Day:

• This day pays tribute to the dedication of physiotherapists and the invaluable services they provide, helping individuals achieve optimal physical function, from basic mobility to complex activities, whether they are patients or in good health.
• The theme for World Physiotherapy Day 2023 is ‘Arthritis’.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis and axial spondylarthritis are two types of inflammatory arthritis that will be highlighted on this day. 
• The World Confederation for Physical Therapy established this day in 1996 commemorating its foundation in 1951. The organisation is currently known as World Physiotherapy.

4. Asian Games 2022

Syllabus: Sports news

Prelims: Asian Games 2022

Context:

The first batch of the Indian contingent leaves for the Asian Games 2022.

Asian Games 2022:

• The Asian Games 2022 is being held in Hangzhou, China from 23 September to 8 October 2023.
• Originally supposed to take place in 2022, the games were postponed to 2023 because of the pandemic.
• The official slogan of the 2022 Asian Games is “Heart to Heart, @Future”.
• The three mascots of the Games are Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen, known collectively as the “Memories of Jiangnan”.

Read the previous PIB articles here.